 | | BBC RADIO 3 Saturday 27 December 2008 | |
String Theory
Saturday 27 December
12.15-1.00pm BBC RADIO 3 | | | | |
 Daniel Hope pulls some strings
for his favourite instrument International violinist Daniel Hope examines the mysteries of the violin. Often seen as the Devil's instrument, the violin is certainly the one that most resembles the human voice and was thought, at one time, to be able to steal men's souls. String Theory charts not only the instrument's big bang in Italy in the 16th century, but also examines its murky pre-history, too. Daniel offers up his own thoughts on the violin's musical DNA, what he calls the "soul and feeling of the violin", that can be traced back to countries as diverse as Mongolia, China, India and Arabia. As well as music from all over the world, the programme also looks at the transformation of the bow from a tool of war to an instrument of music. There are myths, devils and angels, legends and superstitions and a rare chance for Daniel to get his hands on an early instrument built by a descendant of the "Father of the Violin", Andrea Amati, on which he plays excerpts from the earliest published violin sonata, written in 1610. Like so much of this instrument's story, its evolution is often entwined with that of man – 1610 being the year Galileo turned his telescope to the heavens. Presenter/Daniel Hope, Producer/Rob Alexander BBC Radio 3 Publicity World Routes In Brazil
Saturday 27 December
3.00-4.00pm BBC RADIO 3 | | | | |
In the first of two programmes, Lucy Duran travels to rural North East Brazil, to explore the music of the region. The North Eastern state of Pernambuco is one of Brazil's most musical. A rich melting-pot of African styles, indigenous traditions and Portuguese influences, it is rarely reported by Western producers and journalists who tend to focus on samba, bossa nova and movements such as "Tropicalista". Lucy travels westwards inland, towards the wild semi-desert known in Brazil as the Sertao. It's an area that few people visit – harsh, hot, and, in parts, lawless. Despite its reputation in Brazil as a poor and miserable place, it's also home to some wonderful and unexpected musical traditions. En route to the Sertao, Lucy visits Caruaru which is the home of forro. When asked about Brazilian music, most people think of samba or bossa nova but, for most Brazilians – and especially those outside Rio – real Brazilian music is the accordion-driven country genre, forro. In Caruaru, Lucy learns about music by the godfather of forro, the late Luis Gonzaga, and also visits two forro clubs to record some present-day stars of the style – Azulao and Walmir Silva. In between, Lucy visits the world's largest outdoor theatre which, every year, hosts a passion play for 10,000 people with the various Biblical protagonists played by mega-star Brazilian soap actors. Moving further west, the World Routes team stops in Arcoverde – a town that's known as the "gateway" to the Sertao. It's also the home to an electrifying Afro-Brazilian group – Coco Raizes – who dance wearing hard-wood sandals to create machine-gun-like percussion. The programme closes with a chance meeting on the road into the Sertao with three leather-clad, horse-riding cowboys. The only exposed parts of their bodies are their faces, which are covered in fresh, bleeding cuts from riding among vicious cacti. Pleased to be on the radio, they sing a song, welcoming World Routes to the Sertao. Almost all the music was recorded on location especially for the programme. Presenter/Lucy Duran, Producer/James Parkin BBC Radio 3 Publicity Opera On 3 – La Fanciulla Del West
Saturday 27 December
6.00-9.00pm BBC RADIO 3 | | | | |
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Puccini's birth, Opera On 3 presents the composer's La fanciulla del west from the Royal Opera House (recorded in September 2008), starring José Cura and Eva-Maria Westbroek. The cloudy mountains of the Californian Wild West, at the height of the Gold Rush, form the setting for La fanciulla del west, the most vividly cinematic of Puccini's operas. Its characters come from the ends of the Earth to the Polka Saloon, where they gather to drink, gamble, gossip and fight. The mining camp is full of men with just one woman, the owner of the saloon, Minnie, the "Girl of the Golden West". She's a scripture-reading innocent, admired and respected by everybody. Into this environment comes "Dick Johnson", or, to give him his real name, Ramirez, a bandit on the run. Despite all her better instincts, Minnie falls for him, much to the annoyance of the Sherrif, Jack Rance, who fancies Minnie. Rance hunts Johnson down and is about to have him lynched, when Minnie finds a way to save him. This celebrated production is around 30 years old and is conducted here by the Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Antonio Pappano, with Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek singing the role of Minnie on stage for the first time. Presenter/Martin Handley, Producer/Anthony Sellors BBC Radio 3 Publicity Between The Ears – Woven In Time
Saturday 27 December
9.00-9.30pm BBC RADIO 3 | | | | |
Between The Ears presents an evocative and poetic story about black female identity, as told through the words of poets Zena Edwards, Khadijah Ibrahim and Jean Binta Breeze. Taking the themes of woven hair and woven lives – of both history and culture – the programme examines the lives of women in a late-night Afro-Caribbean hair salon: a place where women congregate over several hours to shape their outer selves with intricate new hairstyles of corn rows, dreadlocks and weaves, and share their inner selves as they socialise and ponder the trials of life. Between The Ears – Woven In Time explores the link between the changing politics of black female identity, notions of black beauty, and how this has been expressed through hair to the present day. Both Zena Edwards and Jean Binta Breeze have been commissioned to write new poetic narratives for the programme. Producer/Ella-Mai Robey BBC Radio 3 Publicity Paradise LostEp 6/12
Monday 22 December to Friday 2 January
9.30-10.30pm BBC RADIO 3 | | | | |
Anton Lesser continues to read John Milton's Paradise Lost to mark the 400th anniversary of the writer's birth. In Book Six, Michael continues to explain to Adam the conflict with Satan and his angels, ending with their expulsion from Heaven following the victory by the Messiah. Presenter/Anton Lesser, Producer/Nicolas Soames BBC Radio 3 Publicity | | BBC RADIO 4 Saturday 27 December 2008 | |
Tom And Viv
Saturday 27 December
2.30-4.00pm BBC RADIO 4 | | | | |
Tom And Viv tells the story of the tortured relationship between T.S. Eliot and his first wife, Vivienne Haigh-Wood. The American Eliot, in love with all things British, married Vivienne in 1915, but mistook her prosperous, middle-class family for British aristocracy. The play marks Eliot's growing detachment from Vivienne and her family and the painful withdrawal of their love for him, a man desperate for acceptance but incapable of articulating affection. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Tom with Lia Williams as Viv. The production also features Judy Parfitt and David Haig. Producer/Peter Kavanagh BBC Radio 4 Publicity | | BBC RADIO 5 LIVE Saturday 27 December 2008 | |
Best Of Eamonn Holmes
Saturday 27 December
9.00-11.00am BBC RADIO 5 LIVE | | | | |
Eamonn Holmes presents a seasonal special featuring the show's highlights from 2008. The memorable moments include Eamonn's interviews with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, footballer Ryan Giggs and Katie Price, aka Jordan. There's also the usual mix of comedy and music quizzes. Presenter/Eamonn Holmes, Producer/Anna Stewart BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity 5 Live Sport
Saturday 27 December
12.00noon-5.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE | | | |  |
George Riley presents an afternoon of live sport, kicking off at 12.30pm with one of the most hotly contested local derbies, Rangers v Celtic, live from Ibrox, in the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League. There's also live coverage of all the 3pm games in the Scottish Premier League, including Aberdeen v Hearts and Hibernian v Kilmarnock, plus reports from the day's rugby union Guinness Premiership matches, including Harlequins v Leicester. Presenter/George Riley, Producer/Ed King BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity 606 – Red Card
Saturday 27 December
6.30-8.00pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE | | | |  |
Former referee Graham Poll joins Mark Chapman for a special 606 phone-in about referees and their controversial decisions. Fans can join the debate by phone on 0500 909 693 (free from BT landlines), by texting 85058 at network rates or by emailing 606@bbc.co.uk. Presenter/Mark Chapman, Producer/Patrick Campbell BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity | | BBC 6 MUSIC Saturday 27 December 2008 | |
BBC Introducing With Tom Robinson
Saturday 27 December
12.00midnight-2.00am BBC 6 MUSIC | | | | |
Tom Robinson presents an Introducing... Christmas special show, in which he is joined by two special guests, John Peel's sons Tom and William Ravenscroft. Together, they play two hours of the new music that has shaped their 2008. They also give listeners their hot tips for 2009. Presenter/Tom Robinson, Producer/Dina Jahina BBC 6 Music Publicity | 
